Urge Kent County Levy Court to Support Data Center Ordinance

Across the nation, local communities are expressing their concerns about the impacts of the hyperscale data center industry. Kent County’s Ordinance LC26-06 would create guardrails around the development and protect communities in the center of Delaware. I hope that you will support this Ordinance. The quality of life in the County would be severely impacted by the unrestrained buildout of data centers like we are seeing in other states. Community members in these states have had to deal with distressing low frequency noise, air quality issues, and rapidly rising energy bills. While economic development and jobs can come with these facilities, this ordinance ensures that we are taking a balanced approach that honors community concerns. An overlooked, but crucial, impact from data centers is the noise. The hundreds of fans used for cooling systems, gas turbines, and diesel generators all create noise pollution that can be heard and felt miles away. High noise levels and the low-frequency humming from these facilities can cause health issues such as increased blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep deprivation to nearby residents. Then there is the elevated water usage to cool down the electronics inside the centers. Closed loop systems like the Ordinance would require cuts down on the water requirements and helps protect our precious water supplies. As we continue our drought watch, precipitation levels declining over the past three years, water is at the top of community members' and farmer’s concerns. Ordinance LC26-06 addresses many of the concerns brought up by Delaware residents. The ordinance sets a clear restriction on noise allowances from planned buildings, setting the noise limit to no more than 55 db(A) at the site’s property. Acoustical barriers must surround mechanical equipment on the data center property to mitigate noise. The Ordinance also says that sites would be no less than 300 feet from residential zoning districts and screened by natural barriers native to Delaware. These regulations will also compel developers to be accountable to the facilities they hope to build in Kent County. Under the ordinance, the owner of the project must provide proof that “service is available with existing infrastructure or contingent upon upgrades” for their electric needs and “adequate capacity exists for service use” in regards to water usage. Open-loop and once-through cooling systems would be prohibited unless they use reclaimed water or if the owner can demonstrate minimal environmental impact. With fears of the AI data center industry being in a bubble, Kent’s ordinance also sets guidelines on decommissioning plans. Any facility left unused for a year is deemed abandoned and must be dismantled and removed from the land by the developer. They are also held to a 100% financial assurance bond for the decommissioning of the site. This holds potential developers accountable to their long-term investment. The economic and environmental costs of failed or underutilized development should not be passed onto the local residents.